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Stone maiden
| patron deity = | vision = | activecycle = Any | diet = Omnivore | lifespan = | location = Zakhara | language = | subraces = | climate = | terrain = Any stone (near desert) | height = 5 ft (1.5 m) | length = | wingspan = | weight = | skincolor = | haircolor = | hairstyles = | feathers = | eyecolor = | build = | distinctions = | based = | first = }} Stone maidens were beautiful damsels who dwelt in standing stones, rock formations, and secluded cavern walls in Zakhara. Description These women appeared to be elven or human and wore simple, loose-fitting robes and veils. The kind of stone these creatures lived in was reflected in the coloring of their clothing, e.g., one in a basalt cave would wear black, while one in sandstone would wear dusty red. Describing their beauty, would-be poets said they had faces like the moon, eyes like a gazelle, and lips like rose petals. Abilities Stone maidens could cast animate rock, meld into stone (which worked indefinitely and let her use her other spells), spike stones, stone shape, stone tell, and suggestion, each thrice a day. All stone maidens were immune to earth-affecting magic, thanks to their strong link to the Elemental Plane of Earth. Combat Stone maidens were shy creatures, and they fled from most confrontations. But they would attack if angered or provoked, using weapons or preferably their magic, as their special powers over stone provided interesting ways of trapping or attacking hostiles, though she would begin by simply suggesting foes just leave. Stone tell let her learn about trespassers into her area, and she'd use spike stones to slow the entry of obviously wicked beings. After that, stone maidens preferred attacking with magic while they remained safely enclosed within stone. If seriously threatened, such as with mining tools, she would animate a man-sized boulder to defend her, and would use stone shape to make one if need be. Personality Stone maidens were peaceful, shy, and reclusive. While some were melancholy, hinting of a curse upon them, equally many stone maidens were content with their lot, even self-reliant and assertive, with no desire to be "rescued" from their state. Habitat/Society Stone maidens were mystically bonded with the rock where they lived, never straying more than a quarter mile (0.4 kilometers) from the rock. If removed from this area by force, a stone maiden suffered physical damage until they died or were returned. Some stone maidens had lairs near gold or gem deposits and they also tended to accumulate treasure, either left behind by beings they'd driven away or given as presents by people desiring their favor. They used their magical powers to further craft these trinkets into artistic forms. They kept their treasures hidden inside solid rock shaped by the stone maiden's magic. Legend Legends told by desert nomads stated that stone maidens were ancestors of a desert priestess who was kidnapped from her tribe and imprisoned in stone by an evil dao. It was believed that they sought a way to remove their curse and return to a nomadic existence. Removing the curse involved the epic task of acquiring a personal item (like a veil) of a stone maiden from a great dao or genie and returning it to her, breaking her link to the Elemental Plane of Earth, when she would return to being a normal woman and lose her powers. The credibility of this legend was questionable, however, since many stone maidens appeared content with their existence. Nevertheless, some nomads thought it a grand achievement to "rescue" a stone maiden and take her as a wife, but were mostly just rude demanding while offering her gifts. Ecology Occasionally, stone maidens were known to act as guardians for the land surrounding their lair, but most of them they had little to no ecological role. Appendix See Also * Ashira * Dryad References Category:Creatures found in warm climates Category:Creatures found in deserts Category:Creatures found in underground locations